


Loving the Loveable

by HeartlessFreedom



Category: The Blacklist (US TV)
Genre: F/M, Fluff, Hurt/Comfort
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-11-27
Updated: 2019-11-27
Packaged: 2021-02-26 04:55:19
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,058
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21577933
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/HeartlessFreedom/pseuds/HeartlessFreedom
Summary: Lizzie finally realizes she's in love with Red but his response is not what she expected.
Relationships: Elizabeth Keen/Raymond Reddington
Comments: 4
Kudos: 77





	Loving the Loveable

**Author's Note:**

> Shoutout to anyone who's watched Once Upon a Time and recognizes the inspiration for this! A special thank you to Maddie/apicturewithasmile for being an awesome beta!

Lizzie walked into Red’s safe house of the week with a determined look on her face. Despite the sudden intrusion, Red greeted her with his usual excitement and comfort he felt in her presence

“Ah, Lizzie! I didn’t know you’d be coming to see-" He found himself cut off by the sensation of her hands grabbing the lapel of his jacket and pulling his mouth onto hers. Her lips moved against his in a desperate needy way as she tried to draw him into the kiss. It only took a moment before he caved. His hands held onto her hips and pulled her closer as his mouth moved in response to hers.

She seemed to relax every muscle in her body as though she had been worried he wouldn’t respond. Now that she was sure he wasn’t rejecting her, Lizzie’s hands moved to scratch along his scalp and clasp around his neck. Eventually, they parted to take a breath and she looked into his eyes.

He seemed stunned by her. Even more so then when he had first seen her at the Post Office, or with her blonde hair, or when she was finally exonerated and released. His hands were still on her hips but she could sense that he was at a loss for words. She moved in for another kiss when his hands released her and he took a step back.

“Not that I didn’t enjoy that immensely, Lizzie, but what exactly brought this on?”

“I just...” she seemed to hesitate. “I was watching an episode of Once Upon a Time and it sparked something in me. I just know that I’ve been trying to push you for answers for so long that I’ve lost sight of what’s happened in the time that I’ve known you. I realized that you’ve never failed to protect me and that I couldn’t imagine a world without you in it. And it left me breathless.”

Red seemed to be genuinely floored by her words.

“And I always will be there for you, Lizzie. You know that I will do anything in my power to keep you safe.”

“Red. Just let me finish. I... I love you. I know you’ll tell me what I need to know eventually, and I just want to be with you. I am in love with you and I needed to tell you here and now. I couldn’t let another moment pass without letting you know.”

Suddenly, Red’s hands were on her arms again and she waited for him to pull her back into a kiss. Instead she found his grip harsh and his voice angry.

“Don’t say that, Lizzie. Don’t you ever say that to me!” 

She found herself almost scared in that moment until she noticed the fear in his eyes.

“I love you Red. You can’t make it go away just by telling me not to.” She stepped forward despite his tight grip in her arms.

He let go and took a step back. 

“Why are you fighting this?” she whispered, reaching out one hand to touch him.

“Because no one, no one could ever love me!” His body was visibly shaking in anger and fear and she found herself thinking he looked like a trapped animal lashing out.

“How could you think that? I love you, Raymond.”

“Don’t! Don’t say that!” His hands gripped a wooden chair as he pushed it over in his anger. “Don’t lie to me! I’m a monster! A violent man, a sin eater and no one could ever love me. You’re trying to play on my feelings for you! You think you can seduce me into telling you what you want to know."

Lizzie took another step towards him as she tried to keep eye contact with him.

“Red, I know... I know that I’ve done a lot to hurt you in the past. I’ve never been open in my affections with you, but I want you to know that you can be loved. I love you.”

“Stop saying that!”

“I love you Raymond Reddington. I love you as you are. The good, the bad, the past, the things you don’t tell me that haunt me at night, the things that haunt you at night. All of it. I am in love with you.”

Somehow he found himself trapped in front of the sofa with no place left to move back to and her standing closer and closer to him. His body shook as he tried to hold back the tears. Her hand touched his chest where the seam of his vest met his button up.

“Lizzie...” His fear and self-loathing was evident on his face as he looked into her eyes once more.

“I love you.” She punctuated this with a hand moving to caress his cheek. Her thumb reached up to wipe the tears from his face. “I love you.” Her other hand moved up his chest to place it centered over his heart. “I love you.” She took another step forward and pressed her lips to his forehead, standing on her tiptoes to reach.

Red remained frozen while she moved her hands along his arms in an attempt to calm him. Cautiously, his hands turned over to catch hers as they found their way down from his shoulders all the way to his wrists. 

“Oh Lizzie. I love you more than life itself. But I’m not a good person. I’m not good for you.” 

Her lips pressed against his briefly before he had a chance to respond or chastise her.

“You love me. You just told me you do. You’ve said it with actions and with other words in the time that I’ve known you. But you’re wrong, there’s no one on this earth that is better for me than you. You love me, protect me, cherish me. Even at your most lethal I’ve never been scared of my safety from you, because I know that you will do anything in your power to keep me safe.”

“Lizzie...” Her name was the only thing that escaped from him before he found himself pressed down on the sofa with Lizzie straddling his lap, her lips warm and soft against his.

“I love you, Red.”

“You are the most precious thing in my entire world.”

“Prove it,” she said as her lips met his once more.


End file.
